Attentions students! Major changes NEET-UG, JEE-Mains and other entrance exams will undergo in 2025 | All details

A seven-member high-level committee of experts was formed which submitted a report titled ‘Reforming the National Entrance Testing in India'. Scroll down for more.

The National Testing Agency, a body established by the NDA government in 2017, is responsible for supervising 15 entrance examinations across India. This includes exams like NEET-UG, JEE-Main, CUET-UG, UGC-CSIR NET among many others.

Notably, in June, the declaration of the NEET-UG 2024 results led to a major controversy due to reported irregularities and paper leak allegations. Serious allegations were made that examination staff at Godhra and Jharkhand centers had a hand in the question paper leakage. The Central Bureau of Investigation was thereafter brought into the case and has subsequently issued five charge sheets in relation to the NEET(UG) paper leak incident.

With issues ranging from leaked papers to inconsistencies in scoring, the irregularities caused widespread uproar across different regions in our country.

Allegations reach Supreme Court

The allegations reached the courts and finally the Supreme Court, where the top court ruled out a re-test and asking the NTA to completely restructure the exam process. Consequently, a seven-member high-level committee of experts from the Ministry of Education was formed which submitted a report titled ‘Reforming the National Entrance Testing in India’.

Panel recommends Digi Exam system

The panel also recommended a Digi Exam system, similar to Digi Yatra, to prevent impersonation.

“Candidates are required to upload their data each time they wish to take an exam. Verifying this information during the application process is insufficient, as NTA caters to numerous TIAs — which can create communication gaps between the candidate and the academic programme they are joining. This may lead to discrepancies between the candidate appearing for the exam and the person enrolled in the course, a digit exam system can help prevent this,” seven-member high-level committee of experts from Ministry of Education said in its report titled ‘Reforming the National Entrance Testing in India’.

Committee suggestions to Secure Test Administration Apparatus

“NTA should develop institutional linkages with state/district authorities for providing a Secure Test Administration Apparatus, Also, that coordination committees at state and district level must be set up with clear responsibilities,” the report said on functioning of NTA.

Multi-Stage Testing recommended

The seven member panel has suggested multi-stage testing for NEET-UG as a viable possibility that needs to be followed up.

Committee on Allocation of exam centres

“Aberrations or strange patterns of choices of testing centres may be detected through data analytics, and remedial action should be taken before the test. A suitable deterrent clause may be specified in the application form for curbing the allocation of such centres where the choice of centre appear ‘suspicious or unusual’,” the report said on the allocation of exam centres.